Ever since the beginning of time various government have strived to create the perfect community for it's people and always fell short, mainly because of their selfish greed and hatred that would eventually consume and destroy them.

In Europe around the 15th century, land and resources were growing thin for the very agressive Europeans, so they embarked on new adventures for a New World in the Americas. The invention of the printing press which allowed works of literature to spread more quickly and made info avaliable to the masses in the form of books. Schools would soon become highly regarded as an important stepping stone to success.

The discovery of this New World would open the door for regular everyday common folks to attain wealth and prosperity if they worked hard for it. Many immigrants were ignorant in regards to education, so America made it a requirement for them to enroll in school right off the ship.

In contrast, African schools existed in Egypt at the time of the Middle Kingdom, but the Sub-Saharran educationinal process was of a different form. These Sub-Saharran Africans chose to pass information orally from generation to the next in the form of Griots who were the storytellers or rappers of that day.

Oral stories were built out of set phrases which had been stockpiled from a lifetime of hearing and telling stories. Griots still exist in Africa today. The Europeans had also used this form of educational storytelling in earlier days but left it behind.

It became obvious that education learned from books were superior to education from storytellers. The whole world would soon recognize how education would play an important role in societal purposes, including good citizenship, shaping students into productive members of society, thereby promoting society's general economic development, and preserving cultural values. Education was on its way in becoming a human right for all.

Over the centuries the Asians and Muslims also made important contributions to humanity through education, but none quite like the white man who had taken advantage of education to dictate and control the world. This of course made whites feel superior to others. In time, whites would make black people slaves which was foretold to happen many centuries ago. Table of Nations >>

Slavery had existed in history many times, it was a fact of life for many cultures, but the study and belief of Christianity made it clear that slavery wasn't condoned. After the 15th century invention of the printing press, all common men were able to read for themselves that all men were recognized as equal.

But white surpremacist refused to accept this and held on to their self serving beliefs that since white people excelled through education and created much of the opportunities that exist for success they alone should be entitled to it all.

The amazing journey blacks endured since the Emancipation Proclamation is breathtaking. It was a time that most white Americans ignored and flat out trounced on the real meaning of democracy for their own gain. Our U.S. presidents were aware of this travesty of justice and did nothing until they were forced to with the Civil Rights movement. A sad chapter in our history that still affects all today.

Even though blacks faced many obstacles in the race for success and face many more ahead, it now seems appropiate to reflect on a few past amazing victories by a very resiliant and peace loving people.

Intense Hate

Immediately after the Civil War, blacks were full of optimism and hope in becoming fruitful American citizens, but soon realized there would be many hurdles ahead, especially in the form of intense hate by white southerners who had previously dominated the former slaves for hundreds of years.

Black Codes

Imagine the shock and dismay whites had to feel when it was perfectly legal for blacks to enter their communities and other public places. During slavery, blacks needed a pass to travel and were heavily restricted in their movements.

Whites didn't like this new freedom blacks had to roam around as they pleased so they instituted Black Codes which had the intent of restricting the freedom of movement for African American citizens. These codes worked very well.

Freedmen's Bureau Closure

Before Lincoln was assassinated he established the Freedmen's Bureau to aid freed slaves in the South during this Reconstruction era. The Bureau offered legal advice and arranged to teach the former slaves to read and write, considered critical by the freedmen themselves as well as the government.

Each year the Bureau grew weaker until it was finally shut down in 1872 for a complete lack of funding. Hundreds of thousands of blacks would die from disease and starvation during this period. http://www.theguardian.com/

1877 Compromise

Chances for American success grew dimmer with the Bureau closure. Most didn't even know how to read or write. Former slaves left out of the gate with anchor weights strapped to them.

But nevertheless some blacks were making impressive gains until some white citizens devised another stumbling block called the 1877 Compromise, which was a behind the door deal that removed federal troops which were protecting blacks from white violence and supplying protection of their Civil Rights. Black people of that time called it the 1877 Grand Betrayal.

Jim Crow

Now that the whites could treat black citizens as they pleased with total impunity, they went a step further in creating illegal laws called Jim Crow that kept blacks restricted in movement, discriminated against and out of view from the average white person. Whites all over America in different states were soon instituting their own Jim Crow laws. Segregation had become so complete that whites did not see blacks except when being served by them.

Cultural Barrier

Once the Civil Rights of blacks were established, there was another hurdle awaiting. The very first thing blacks noticed with their intergration with whites was the huge cultural barrier, simply because white and black culture were different as apples and oranges.

It's true that former slaves had been considered African-Americans by now, but during slavery, they had not fully had a chance to learn and adapt to American culture. But after the Rights victories many adapted very well.

Self Pity

Even though of the many victories in the court room for black citizens, they were not prepared to compete with whites.
Blacks and especially the black male as a leader now had opportunity looking him right in the face but was intimidated by the huge white power structure he had to navigate for American success.

Most failed to challenge it in an intelligent way like picking up a book and instead chose a life of backward living and foolish pleasure seeking as their main ambition in life. This destructive form of self-pity was passed down from generation to the next.

The sad reality was that most white citizens, either by their silence of this hateful attack on democracy by racist whites or active participation were culpaple in the oppression of black citizens up until the 1960s. This mistreatment left blacks far behind in every aspect of successful living, especially with their confidence. Because of hate and exclusion, many blacks didn't have the oppoutunity to master the life skills needed to be productive and fruitful citizens.

Education was denied to blacks which is the common denominator of success. Our ancestors in Africa didn't realize the value of education for its peoples, but this doesn't mean it wasn't possible to teach Africans education.

Did you know that immigrants from Sub-Sahahhan Africa who come to America colleges today out-perform all races academically! It's true. "Google "African immigrants in college" Skin color doesn't matter one little bit in the ability learn. Humans just needs an opportunity

Why didn't most blacks make much progress in the race for success after the Civil Rights movement?

After the 60s, blacks were a race lost in the dark and had to find themselves thoriugh much trial and error. Every single race that came to America as immigrants had family to depend on. The Italians, Jews, Irish, Germans, Chinese etc. congregated together and helped one another. Our situation in America is more unique than other races. We didn't have that bond within our own race which resuted in mistrust and division just like racist slaveowners planned.

Our leaders failed to teach us how to live and work within the white power structure which was geared toward white privelege. After Martin Luther King died, weak black leaders made matters worse by preaching that something was owed to us because of the harsh reality of slavery our ancestors endured, which was probably true in another world, but highly unlikely in this one.

The weaker ones thought they hit pay dirt by receiving a check from the government without working and became content receiving welfare, which stunted black progress and crreated a serious mental disorder that still effects many of our race today.

Welfare is a good temporary program, but many blacks began making a career out of the system instead of going to school and running a smart race for success. Our own leaders failed to preach about hard work its benefits because they didn't want to lose black favor.

This is why post Civil Rights leaders eventually faded from view because they failed to take the baton from Martin Luther Kings death and usher our people into the next phase of this all important race for success, which meant not only bringing up the subject of education but continuing to do so.

That was many years ago, but who are the black leaders of today?

Sadly it's not educators, but it's very clear that entertainers, sports figures and especially rappers and hip/hoppers are the black leaders. Blacks don't give much weight to any other group. Of course, black parents are the most important leaders and role models, but can't compete against these powerful groups.

Ida B. WellsA remarkable black woman

Civil Rights leader, Ida B. Wells was a wildcat and didn't take any mess, she would have definitely had issues with our race today.

Amazing Civil Rights leaders from Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, A. Phillip Randolph down to Martin Luther King Jr. and many more did their job in creating favorable laws so we could fairly run this American race for success.

They did it for us as a group, but since the sixties and without their moral guidance and leadership it became every man for himself without consideration of our brother.

One small example:

Everyone loves rap/hip-hop music, few can sit still to a good beat. But what about the message?

This explains much about the frame of mind our people are in. These lyrics aid in creating a climate of selfishness, something owed to us, self-pity and worthlessness. These are the ones a huge segment of our community listen to for advice and education. But if they take this type of street Negro education to the American workforce, they wouldn't get through the front door, and it would have absolutely nothing to do with racism.

Typical lyrics in a rap/hip-hop songs are about making money, love of money, out-shining your brother and flaunting success in his face, taking from a brother, envious of a brother, sexing a brothers woman, hating on a brother, and even killing a brother. Rarely any mention of loving and helping a brother or reading a book to get smarter.

That wouldn't be cool to rap about and would be looked down upon, and it's almost like we can't wait for one of our own to attain success so that we can bring him down, similar to crabs in a bucket story.

Crab mentality, sometimes referred to as crabs in the bucket, is a way of thinking best described by the phrase, "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a bucket or pot of crabs.

Individually, the crabs could easily escape from the pot, but instead, they grab at each other in a useless "king of the hill" competition which prevents any from escaping and ensures their collective demise. The analogy in human behavior is claimed to be that members of a group will attempt to negate or diminish the importance of any member who achieves success beyond the others, out of envy, spite, conspiracy, or competitive feelings, to halt their progress.

Be honest. Who profits from all this negativity? It's obvious. The ones with the fat wallets who have left their people behind and not returned to the black community by organizing their peers to contribute not in a token way, but in a lasting way like with educational programs. SHAME! SHAME!